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NRES at Illinois

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The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. https://nres.illinois.edu/

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DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! (Unless you're a certified burn boss.) Prescribed burns are fires that are intentionally and *carefully* planned, organized, and executed. Controlled burns are an important tool in prairie management: they clear away or suppress invasives, return nutrients to the soil, and stimulate growth in native plants by removing thatch and litter, warming the soil, and bringing certain species out of physical dormancy due to the fire's heat or smoke's chemical compounds. PHOTOS from Dr. Kevin McSweeney of a controlled burn at the U of I Arboretum. 🔥💨🌱 by @illinoisnres

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3 days ago

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? The painted devil crayfish (Lacunicambarus ludovicianus) sports cool red racing stripes. It and its mud chimneys have been found in areas of Missouri and Kentucky that would suggest its possible presence in southern Illinois...but no known sightings so far. ❓🎨😈🦞 #painteddevilcrayfish #crayfish #crawfish PHOTO provided by Dr. @caitlinbloomer. by @illinoisnres

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4 days ago

Technology coupled with in-person examination can lead to the "discovery" of undocumented prairie remnants. Satellite views can suggest possible locations, while evidence a site might be a prairie remnant comes from examining existing plant material. In this instance, false boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides) and New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) indicates this site has promise! 🌱🌿🤞🏾#prairieremnant #newjerseytea #falseboneset by @illinoisnres

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5 days ago

With so little prairie remaining in Illinois, prairie crayfish (Procambarus gracilis) are most often found near ditches. They spend most of the year underground in burrows that can be 6+-feet deep. While you might spot them on the surface during warm, humid nights or periods of heavy rain, you're more likely to see their "chimneys" (aka "crayfish castles"). PHOTOS courtesy of Dr. @caitlinbloomer. #prairiecrayfish #crayfish by @illinoisnres

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6 days ago

The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) - a pest-eating machine! - is found in almost every corner of Illinois. During the breeding season, the males call with a high trill (like this fellow here). They're entering hibernation around now & will overwinter under wood piles or rock ledges or by digging their own burrows, which can be over 3 feet deep! #americantoad Hint: don't play this vid on a loop... by @illinoisnres

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7 days ago

Meet the ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata)! If you run across one in the wild, you are fortunate - as these turtles are found only in the prairie, they are much rarer than the Eastern box turtle (T. carolina). Ornate box turtles can live for 40+ years; at this time of the year, they're heading underground for winter. PHOTO: Former NRES student Dr. @edmondsdevin. #boxturtle #ornateboxturtle #prairie by @illinoisnres

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10 days ago

With the pervasiveness of human activity - especially agricultural activities - in Illinois, how is it ANY prairie remnants remain? Many such plots "escaped the plow" because they were unsuitable for farming or located in old cemeteries, along railroad rights-of-way, or on military lands. The beautiful Weston Cemetery Nature Preserve in Chenoa is managed by @parklands.foundation. by @illinoisnres

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11 days ago

Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Reserve serves as a memorial to both those buried there & the natural heritage of Illinois. It was the first cemetery in Ford County; it features a black oak grove & nearly 80 species of native plants. This Saturday, the site celebrates 50 years as a nature preserve. Photo and more info: Grand Prairie Friends. by @illinoisnres

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13 days ago

A prairie remnant is an original native grassland that has never been plowed, graded, or altered by human development. These remnants are incredibly biodiverse...and extremely rare. It’s estimated that less that 0.07% of Illinois’s original tallgrass prairie remains undisturbed. More tomorrow on one such remnant: Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve. PHOTO: Grand Prairie Friends. 🌱 #prairieremnant by @illinoisnres

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14 days ago

Let's wrap up the week the way we started - with a pic from Beall Woods State Park and Nature Preserve. 🌳To get an idea of how big this oak is: the folks lurking inside the tree are 5'11" and 6'2"! #worldforestweek #oldgrowthforest #statepark Big thanks to Forestry and Extension Research Specialist Chris Evans for sharing his knowledge and his photos this week. 🥹 by @illinoisnres

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17 days ago

NRES is hiring! The full job announcement for the position of Human Resources Generalist can be found on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign jobs page. Applications can be submitted there until 6:00 p.m. CST on Monday, October 12, 2026. by @illinoisnres

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18 days ago

The Cache River State Natural Area in southern Illinois features massive cypress trees, some of which are more than 1,000 years old. Their flared bases (buttresses) can exceed 40 feet in circumference. PHOTO provided by Chris Evans. #timeforaroadtrip #worldforestweek by @illinoisnres

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18 days ago